Gizmo

Spider-Man it ain't, but silk spun by a microfluidic duct built at the University of Bayreuth in Germany could still guide the regrowth of damaged nerves or weave super-strong body armour. Inside the micrometre-sized device, two proteins experience changes in flow, pH and the concentrations of certain ions that unite them into a single thread (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0709246105).

Twiddling your thumbs need no longer be a waste of time. Electrodes in an armband being developed by Microsoft researchers detect voltages generated by the wearer's forearm muscles as they move their fingers. These can be converted into electrical control signals, so if the armband is hidden under clothing it appears as if the wearer is controlling a device simply by lifting a finger.

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